THE DIARY OF SARAH DAVIS
may 21 [Tuesday] we camped on the plat river and also lost our cattle I have bin viewing the plat river and I think it is beautiful so I think I will write a litle on the subject their is plenty of birds to warble their beautiful notes and sound beautiful ducks and their young are accasionaly seen and a few geese I saw a snake that some one had kiled that was five feet long and as large as [?]
may 22 we camped on the black snake hills in bucanan county in one mile of St Joseph and a pleasenter place I never saw building [?] I never saw the like and the droves of Catle and mules and the prarie was beautiful tounge canot tell the after [?] role of the beautiful green as fair as the eye can see a more beautiful sight I never saw
may 23 we traveled through st Joseph and then through the missouri bottom
may 24 we camped on the bluffs 6 miles from st joseph and staid a half a day and cooked and washed and then started on and then we had a vary bad time with the Indians one of them was drunk and he ordered us of the land and we told him we would not go and he then got down from his pony and said we should we also told him if he did not go home we would whip him and then he got in a rage and said whip whip whip god dam you puchall puchall and wanted us to leave and he then wanted some money just one picaune1 and quarter of a dollar and then Edwin told him to leave again and he would not and then they led his pony to take the road and then he left we also parted with [?] that returns [?] to the plains this morning one of the best fellows in the world I believe
may 25 we camped on the plains a half a piece from the place we [were] at befoer with five or six wagons in company the next day we started in and traveled fourteen miles to musketo crik and then we had a plesent time for we got in company with a mr Right a cosin of Sarah Ann and he had ten wagons and fifty men
may 26 [Sunday] we traveled all day and past the Indian station of five or six houses and one store and a large farm ad then we campt on the planes near a small crick whare they say their is no wood or water for thirty miles
may 27 may 28 we crost wolf river
may 29 we crost nimaha [Nemaha] river and camped on a creek
may 30 we crost creek to whare their had bin a man robed and six had to be killed it is about one hundred miles from st joseph their is some butifull timber their I think on the green we stoped on the plains to take over whare their is no wood no water no birds of any kind to be seen it is prairie as far as the eye can see
may 31 we crost the blue river whare their was a man dro[w]ned and one died and to turned back to go home we then left our company and find another company and we all went a half mile from the river and then camped for the night we then started on the next morning and then we went till noon and then we stoped for the next night
June [1] we crost the quiet creek and then we past nine graves that day and past through phesents prarie as we have past it also I think
June 2 [Sunday] we camped on the prarie a very plesent place
June 3 we crost the big sandy and then had a tremenduous thunder sower it rained till every thing was wet as they could be and still continued to rain till next day
june 4 we started on the next morning and it still continued to rain and traveled on for eight miles and then camped for the night
june 5 we staid on the little blue for one day and washed and dried our close and baked bread and then the next morning we start on
june 6 we traveled on for the day and nothing hapened of any importance
june 7 we camped on the blue and I saw one of the largest wolfs I ever saw in my life it was a gray wolf
june 8 we camped on the title blue and had a tremenduous thunder Shawer in the evening I saw six antelope that day and one buffalo
june 9 [Sunday] we camped on plains in a butiful place whare their was about fifty wagons in camp and then we left the blue river and came in sight of nebriska
june 10 we stoped to noon and let the catle feed and then to of our men got mad and went on one was captain reed and the other was mr donnald we told them to find a good campen plac and a gain we come on that evning but seing that they would not join then they decided to come back to the camp on that eavening so we all camped for the night traveled eighteen miles that day I saw one sand lizard that day we passed at fourt carney three hundred and thirty five miles and it seemed good to see a house again
june 11 we left fort carney and traveled on we traveled on the bottom of the river at fort carney thare was some men in encampment that sold liquor to the soldiers and they were fiend and to of them taken to the forte and confined and the rest of their liquor turned out of the casque
june 12 we come in company with the cincinnatti train and road with them we traveled about ten miles I also saw a butiful flowr that Sarah found it seamed to be a specia of prickley pare they was beautiful as any flower I ever saw I also saw prickley pare they grow plenty here we are now twenty six miles from the forte and encamped on the plum creek one mile from ro[a]d on water and the musketoes were so bad they had like to eat us up
june 13 we nooned on the nebriska whare we had plentey of water we traveled for eighteen miles that day and camped on the plat river I saw twelve graves to day it semed like a grave yard almost to me I think we travel vary well we travel about ten miles farther we past thirteen graves
june 14 we travel right in the bottom of the plat we have past six graves to day we past twe[l]ve more and one grave that they had not put the body in yet we had a plesent campen ground last night no musetoes a tal and plenty of wood
june 15 we have now past a high ridge of blufs and come to ash holler and now we noon we past seven graves to day we camped on the plat after travling eighteen miles and then [?] we had a fine super that night and the next morning mr Right come and eat brackfast with us
june 16 sunday we traveled next morning ten miles before noon and one of our company killed an antelop and we now have plenty of fresh meat on hand we got to good spring on plat all of our casque canteens full of water of the best kind we past five or six wagons a gain back they were home sick besids being sick for they were sick
june 17 monday we started on and traveled ten miles and then nooned and the men all went in a swimen and I sow and wash we then started on and traveled seven more miles and got to a good spring and then camped for the night lots of fuel was their their was three large white wolfs atacked a cow and calf they then surrounded the cow and would have killed her but whilst they ware eating their kill a mr crous shot one and he draped down and he thought he was dead but he rose again and run of I saw thirten graves to day
june 18 tues we came on and camped on the bank just above the forde
june 19 we went on and crost the river it was one mile wide we crost at waddells forde and no one got drowned at all I believe we got a cross and camped on the river
june 20 we washed and baked bread and had a tremenduous thunder shower and I sopose their ware a hundred wagons past us our men saw to bare and one white wolf I believe that is all that past that day
june 21 we traveld a bout ten miles I believe we camped on the river for the last time it was the south fork and now we leave it in tirely we only past three graves in all I believe I saw too large white wolfs
june 22 saturday we started on and traveled ten miles and stoped to noon mr jenson and mr meadow had a butiful chase after a wolf this morning they run it down and then shot at it and mist it and mr meadow he broke his gun over its head It fell down and then rose again and it run of and they did not kill it
june 23 [Sunday] we camped in ash holler fifteen miles from whare we campe before and their was a tremenduous thunder sawer one role after nother till it killed a horse that was onley one rod from our wagon that night Sarah was taken sick we had no super
june 24 we camped on the north fork of the plat river and sarah was very sick their was one woman died in the camp of the colera and was buried the next morning when I went to Sarah she was no beter and I soon saw she would die and she did die before noon2 o how lonely I felt to think I was all the woman in company and too [sm]all babes left in my care it seams to me as if I would be hapy if I only had one woman with me
june 25 we came on and camped on the north plat river within a few rods of fifty sue indians we suposed they ware robers for they had a great many horses of the inglish kind and their was a few french with them
june 26 we coome in sight of chimney rock and camped buy court house rock it looked like a court house we went on and camped in five miles of chimney rock we had a plesent camp ground
june 27 thursday we started on and traveled ten miles and stoped to noon in sight of scots bluffs whare their was plenty of grass for the catle we traveled twenty miles and encamped in sight of scots bluffs right on the plat river and I washed some that evening we had plenty of wolfs to visit us that night they ware all through the camp
june 28 we nooned near scots bluffs and traveled eighteen miles and then crost the bluffs we crost the bluffs near an Indian viledge they war siouse indians and some french men among them they had a store and a blacksmith s[h]op their ware plenty of them they war expecting a fight every night from the crow Indians they insisted on our stain with them that night but we did not like to so we went on three miles and camped.
june 29 we traveled twelve miles and stoped to noon we made a fire and got a cup of tea for diner I tell you that was good on the planes we crost too creeks this morning I saw a mountain Sheepe horne this morning it beats all horns I ever saw it was five inches through and fifteen Inches long
june 30 [Sunday] we come to larimy fork and then we crost it it is the swiftest river I ever saw but not vary wide when we crost it we went a half mile and camped
july 1 [Monday] we camped near fourte lairimy and there washed we staid till july 2 and was[h]ed and then we went on to fourte lairimy and past it six miles we then staid one day and was[h]ed and baked again a[n]d july 3 we laid on plat
july 4 [Thursday] we camped near to I of the best springs I ever saw but lital gras for our catle we are now in the rockey mountains and it is rockey mountains for certain is some of the largest rocks I ever saw their are some large pine trees here and some cedar trees and plenty of lime stone we started on the next and left mr janson behind hear as one of his men was sick
july 5 friday we went to and past too handsome creeks one was biter creek it had some butifull fish in it we then past dead timber creek and nooned near the bluffs we now had to pass seven miles with no timber or water we then into timber but no water but in a litle while we had plenty of water their came a tremenduous thunder sawer and came rushing down the hills in great fountains like the waves from the lake they came in too feete high
july saturday 6 we started on and traveled eight miles and then nooned we crost biter spring to day and horse creek we had no grass for our catle to day noon and hardly any to night we camped on a dry creek
july 7 sunday we started on and traveled eight miles we stoped to noon on lebonte river [LaBonte Creek] whare we had no grass for our catle we then went on and camped on a branch of lebonte river five miles farther on whare their was toads with horns and tails their was a man died their last night and was baried next morning I had almost forgoten that they kiled too buffalow and what a supper we had plenty
july 8 monday we traveled a bout eight miles and stoped to noon we then went on to a leeperle river [LaPrele Creek] and camped for the night it was vary colde water and Clear we lost one of our cows
july 9 tuesday we started on and traveled to box elder creek and stoped to noon whilst we ware their their hapend to come a long antelop a bounding like a deer only a great deal more we traveld on to fous bois creek [La Fourche Boisée] and stoped for the night
july 10 we stoped at fous bois river a butifull stream the water was clear as cristal and it had plenty of fish in it we spent one day their a washing and baking those that could be spared went a hunting and to of them killed a buffalo and too others killed a black tailed deer we had a plesent time of it their
july 11 friday we started on and traveled fourteen miles we then camped on deer creek one of butiful creeks I ever saw plenty of fish in it and it is as clear as cristal and as cold as ice their is a spring here that is much colder as you can think we have a butifull camping place plenty of wood and water and a good shade I saw too large buffalo to day and the men after them was same [Evidently she means they were the “same” as last night.]
july 12 [Friday] deer creek we still lay here a herding our catle and Zeno went on this morning before breakefast and [killed] a antelope and returned before noon the rest [of] the men killed nothing of any concequence 0 yes mr Mclelen killed a buffalo and to grouse we still lay here at deer creek we lay here three days recruiting our catle they act so that they ware perfectly crazy
july 15 [Monday] we started on and traveled on to the plat whare their was a grove of timber it was coten wood and their no[o]ned Mr sochen and Edwin went out to git some of his buffalo went in the morning and did not return till we nooned on the plat and when they returned they had killed another and brought in some meat with them and then all traveled· twelve miles
july 16 we camped on the plat river and then we started on and to a !itle creek within one mile of the forde and nooned their we went on and crosst ferry and camped just a crost river we then left river
july 17 we are now crosing a desert we come to a minerall lake and spring then we [came] to low land hily charged with alcholie we then came to a spring and water our catle and got some super and then traveled all night our catle ware nearly worne out not having any grass since we left the plat nearly fifty miles
july 18 we camped on coten wood creek and staid all day to feed our catle they not having any thing to eat for the last seventy miles of any consequence we staied all day their
july 19 we started on and traveled to independance rock and their s[t]oped to noon their is the most names on it I ever saw in my life the rock is completly covered with names as far as I can see and a great many serched out to put theirs their mr Estus brought me some curents from top of it their is plenty of them here we have now arived at the sweete river water [sic]
july 20 we camped on the sweete water river and to men staid with us I say they staid with our company have plenty of good water here
july 21 sunday we staid on the swete water and the men drove our catle to grass in the mountain five miles from here and a mr Steele who was with them killed a bull Elk but he brought none of it in we found plenty of goosbury her of the best kind I ever saw in my life I think the sweete water is a butiful1 stream it is clear and rapid their is no large fish in it as we have found yet I expect their is plenty but the[y] being busy had no time
july 22 monday morning we started on and traveled six miles and stoped to noon having traveled through heavy sand all the way we have now past biter coten wood a dismal looking place it is we had vary sandy rodes all the afternoon
july 23 we camped on the sweet water and vary good rodes all day we crost the river four times and traveled thirteen miles we past through [a] mountain whare the rock was three hundred feete high on both sides of us and the river past betweene them I saw three buffalo to day
july 24 we camped on the sweete water and drove our catle three miles to grass we have a butifull campin place here and vary plesent eavening and morning the catle are now coming and must q[u]it riting we travel to pass through sixteen miles of desert to day we have now got through the desert and crost the sweete water and now we camp here their is not much grass here for our catle
july 25 we traveled twenty miles to day we have crost too small creeks and past the twin mounts and too alcholie lakes and sevrel rockey ridges we can see the rockey mountains which is coverd with snow and they look whit[e] litle I think we have now crost strubery [strawberry] creek and camped for the night
july 26 we camped on sweete water for the last time just oposite of the snow mountain and it was vary colde we past twin mountains they are vary high we have had plenty of snow to eat [sic] here on the sweete water we nooned on the swete water to day we have traveled nine teen miles to day and now we are at the south pass
july 27 we are now in the south pass past the pacific springs and stoped to noon we now stop to campe on the dry sandy distance from pacific five miles it rains considerable and it is vary colde almost cold and enuf to realize to think on
july 27 we traveled nine teen miles and then we stoped on the swete water for the last time we stoped near a train of twenty wagons traders a goin to salt lake nothing more transpired of any consequence
july 28 [Sunday] we went on to little sandy distance of twelve miles and their stoped for the day and to grase our catle we had to drive them five miles to grase and whilst the men ware gone with the catle this large train come in one mile of us and camped their a rose a quarel with them and what quareling I never heard the like they were whi ping a man for whiping his wife he had whiped her every day since he joined the company and now they thought it was time for them to whip him and they caught him and striped him and took the ox gad to him and whiped him tremenduous she screamed and hollerd for him till one might have hare him for three miles the little sandy is vary mudy and bout forty feete wide with swift current
July 29 we started on and traveled a bout twelve miles we then crosst big sandy it is hundred feet wide with swift curent and vary muday we then parted with som [of] our company there mr crouses and one mr mire and mr hunter and mr jonson and harter and three mr Estus sand mr Wilams and mr heiple and burg some of the best men I ever got acquanted with I think they went to california and us go to oregon we parted about noon we then on to big sandy and then camped for the night in a butifull place
july 30 we encamped on the big sandy and some of our men washed and some of them baked we baked and fixed for the desert of thirty five miles we start to night for the desert one of our men lost one [of] his oxen with this alcolie and six chicks is sick mr stell lost one of his cous yesterday we have now eat diner and are all most ready to start this is butiful place to camp
july 31 traveled all night and come to green river a distance of thirty five miles we then crost the river and camped for the night we drove our catle five miles to grass their is plenty of fish in this river their is a fery here this river is clear and swift curent the river is thirty rods wide I saw six snake Indians here they cary a white feather with them a sign of pease they look fright full
august 1 [Thursday] we left green river and crost over the mountain a distance of thirteen miles we then come on to a branch of greene river a butiful stream it is we camped on it and we past some Indians snake Indians
august 2 we no [w] are in sight of an indian town we then come on eight miles and in betwene too more mountains within an Indian camp their was to m[o]re camps in sight
august 3 we then started on and traveled ten miles to good grass was good grass to for it [was] ne high to a man we then came to hams fork of greene river a beautifull stream it runs vary swift and is clear as cristal it is a bout three rods wide and has plent[y] of trout in it here is an Indian town they swarmed around us it is the snake tribe of Indians who in habit these snowe mounutains they lo[o]k fright full
august 4 [Sunday] we lay buy all day here to rest our catle and wash and bake our men took off one of their wagons covers and sowed them to gether and used it for a sane they had lots of funn here they caught about too thousan fish with big litle and all to gether their is goosebarys here and seatilsey [salsify?] here and some butiful roses and pine in abundance we had plenty of wilows for wood
august 5 we then started on our catle bein all fresh we then comence to clime the mountains I saw where we had to go before starting as I had the sick head ache vary bad I saw nothin all the four noon In the after noon a more butifull sight I never saw the whole mountain was covered with f[l]owers of evrry description you could t[h]ink of we past through a fur grove of timber it was butiful and a grove of qaken aspen
august 6 we camped on the mountain side a butifull stream runing beneath it the curent swift and clear it was mudy buy name we then crost over mountains for six miles and then we come in bare river botom and their we had a runaway our catle run and the leader fell down and that stoped them nothing got broke we then went on to bare river and nooned the Indians s [ w ] armed a round
august 7 we camped on thomas s fork of bare river we then parted with the rest of our company and turned rounde to go to salt lake evrybody we past they a[s]ked are you turned back my what is the mater why cant you go on we then come on ten miles and stoped to noon on bare river their was one Indian come to us for his diner we then went on for five or six miles and stoped to camp we camped all a lone it seamed vary lonely
august 8 we then went in the fourte briger road for ten miles and stoped to camp we past to of the best Springs I ever saw in my life
august 9 we started on to salt lake we went back five miles on the road and have not come to the road yet we went on a bout seven miles farther whare we stoped to camp and yet we are not in sight of the road the boys killed four ducks which made us a handsome mess for breckfast
august 10 we started on and traveled some eight miles we then stoped to noon and Zeno and Alick went to look for the road I am vary lonely and wish we could find the road we lay buy the rest of the day and not founde the road yet
august 11 [Sunday] we lay buy all day and nothing transpired of any consequence I think it a long time
august 21 [12] we still lay here and no hopes of giting a way about four o clock Elick and Edwin came back and they had found the road & how I rejoiced to think they had found the road they brought home aleven ducks with them and we had fine mes of them mr mclan and mr burten they went a hunting to day and they killed eleven more ducks we had a plenty of them
august 13 we started on up the river to find the road and past through plenty of grass nee high we stoped to grase in a butiful place and Zeno killed a goose it was younge and beter meat I never eat in my life we then went on and I think we traveled fifteen miles that day we ware scarcely out of sight of antelope all day
august 14 we still go on but not founde the road yet we think it is fifteen miles farther we past some of the handsomest grass I ever saw in my life we have now arrived at a place whare some one has camped it seams like home here we have a fare view of the wasatch mountains they are completely covered with snow it is a butifull sight in the morning when the sun shines on it
august 15 we have now arived at the road and we travel vary fast we have traveled ten miles and stoped to noon on yellow creek not hand some at all their has come up her[e] a man who wants to go with us to salt lake he is sick with the mountain fever and wants to ride in the wagon Elick has took him in we have now arived at eco creek a distance of twenty miles we have plenty of grass and good water
august 16 it is a vary bright clear morning we now start vary early havin nothin to hinder us we have now traveled six teen miles and stoped to noon on eco creek we are oposite of a rock one thousand feete high we then went on to weber river and forded it and went one mile to camp whare their now a good spring and plenty of grass weber river is a butifull stream about too rods wide and swift curent and clear
august 17 we started on in the morning and come to a warm salt spring we then pas severel spring branches before comin to canion creek we come to canion creek then and crost it eleven times we nooned on canion creek whare their was now one of the best springs I ever saw in my life we then went on some five or six miles and drove one mile up a canion in the mountain it looks fright full here the valey is full of rocks of the largest kind
august 18 [Sunday] we started on and traveled fivteen miles down hill all the way we then come to a large train some fifty men in it we stoped to noon it commenced to rain and it rained vary hard and haled some when it q[u]it raining we went on we had a vary harde time to get up on the mountain and still harder to get down when we got down we felt thankefull to think we ware safe we camped on browns creek
august 19 their our catle run a way we thought their was no yuse in gardin them and all went to bed and the wolfs came and drove them of and killed one of the best cows we thought they had him stolen from us in the morning the men took of for them and found them a bout five miles off we then set out for the salt lake valey and Elicks wagon turned over in the mud but still we reached the valey
august 02 [20] we past through the city of the great salt lake it is a plesent place here and seams to be improving with great rapidity It seams to have a great deal of vegitation to sell and some rain here we crost the weber river and stoped it [is] a very swift curent and bout too rods wide
august 21 we lay here
august 22 we lay here half the day and concluded to go to california
august 23 we traveled fifteen miles and past plenty of salt the lake is as salt as brine let it be made as strong as it can be the road is good here and plenty of good water we then come to another mormen setelment whare they was building a mill a saw mill we then went about a mile to the good springs caled bentonsmill springs one was salt and the other not we then camped being vary tired
august 24 we started on and come to salt works of the mormons we then went on to miles and s[t]oped to noon whare their was a salt spring we then went and came to a cane break or grass grain rather thick this is caled willow creek a good spring of fresh water we stoped here to put up grass for our catle a cross the desert their is plenty of the best kind here for people that is a crossin the desert went twenty miles to day
august 25 [Sunday] we traveled twenty miles we past more than twenty salt springs the water loocked clear and as if it was the best water ever drinked the one whare we nooned plased me the best the water a bout five feet deep and boiled up iIi evry direction the place it boiled up and spouts as large as a man head and I think of beads their thaught of all colors and s[h]apes the rivers run in every direction
august 26 this morning it is raining it seams so plesent to see it rain as we have not seen it rane since we came in the valey before we now noon near a salt spring we then went on to elbow spring fresh water it is vary good to we then [went] on twelve miles farther to the mountain and found a spring it is rather brackish but good water we traveled nineteen miles to day
august 27 we lay buy all day fixen for the desert we start in the morning our catle wer[e] drove to miles to grass the mountains here are vary high and some cedars growin on them and are vary rockey
august 28 we are not started yet have formed a new acquaintance with mrs crouch3 this morning I think we will travel to gether to california gold digins
august 28 we left the springs and started over the mountain and first thing we done to help us along was to turn over Elicks wagon were about one hour loading but had nothing broke we then [went] on and had rufest road we have had atall the distance over the mountain was five miles and it took us till night we had to duble teams twice coming over and then it was vary harde drawing for the catle team yoke
august 29 this day it was vary hot and seams to me as if every thing will perish we traveled all night of the twenty eight and all night of the 29 buy this time I have got use to it a litle we have now got all most a crost the desert it apears to me as if this has bin a nother great salt lake and I am all most ready to believe it is the grounde is white with salt all over plenty of it we are now in sight of a mountain
august 30 we rived at land and water about eight o clock this morning we are a cross the great horn valley the men are all tired nearly to death as well as the catle the men are all a sleepe and the catle are a resting themselves we [lost] no catle nor horses we got through safe and are thankfull the Indians swarm around us and are vary saucy it is easy to day I think their was no one perished on the desert
august 31 we left the desert spring with the intention of goin ten miles to grass and water and when we got their it was fifteen miles to grass and water we had a harde days travle some of our catle gave out they droped down in the desert also remain with mrs Slater4 from chigago today we traveled twenty five miles today and then found no grass the men hunted round to finde grass and found it one mile
september 1 [Sunday] since ten this morning is vary colde but the air crisp and clear we are here right in a large canion barely enuf of rume for the wagons to pass each other and varey ruff roads and we starte on in a few minets we have now started on and found grass in to miles and stoped to grase our catle we have a vary dusty roads we have now traveled twelve miles
september 2 we lay buy all day in whites spring and washed and grased our cade we founde plenty of grass here
september 3 we started on and traveled eighteen miles to grass and water we found plenty of water here and some grass to day we have had good roads not vary dusty but some we now take over the mountains to the humbolt river
september 4 we left wind springs in large bogs and crost over the mountains we had vary dusty going all day we traveled a bout eighteen miles and came to water and grass we have now come to another chane of mountains and no humbolt yet we camped here for the night we have good water here it is vary cold
september 5 we travel some fifteen miles and got to a good camp ground plenty of good grass and water cold as ice a butifull creek comin right from the mountain it roars like a cataract and springs all round in evry direction and catle are giten fat on this grass I was vary sick all night here with a pane in my breast their was three wagons come up last night with us I belive here the mountain is all covered with snow
september 6 we have past over some mountains to day for it is continualy mountain after mountain now we have come in sight of a valey it is some distance to it we have now come to it is ten miles a cross it to a butifull creek comin in from the mountains it is clear as cristal and cold as ice we have traveled eighteen miles to day plenty grass of the best kind for catle
september 7 we past over some of the handsomest land I ever saw in my life the land was completly covered with a thick coat of grass it looks like a perfect meadow we past some five or six boiling springs the smoke arose from them great fire we past more than twenty springs of the best kind we traveled twenty miles to day and traveled vary late we camped in a butiful place a stream on each side
september 8 sunday a butifull morning the sun shines bright and clear as cristal we have past the most butifull sight I ever saw in my life a perfect meadow with ten thousand springs in it a gushing right from the mountain clear and cold some of them large anuff to cary any mill in operation We have traveled twenty miles to day and stoped at foure o clock
september 9 we traveled twenty five miles to day we come to clarks river it is about foure feete wide and three fete deepe to day the dust was so bad that it was almost Imposible to travel we have passt over one humbolt mountain and now come to another their is plenty of ceder her[e] with some white pine and pich pine it looks vary corse to me and their is a curious fence which the Indians have [?]
september 10 mr crouch had all of his team stolen buy the Indians and their is truly left helpless we lost one horse and mr porter one and mr Croomley5 one the Indian tracks are all over here we think their was a bout thirty here we traveled about twenty five miles to git here we got in vary late it was dark the Indians had a good time we ware all tired and ware hungry and went to giten super they call this clarks river
september 11 we traveled fifteen miles in a butiful valey all day the grass is like a perfect meadow the catle is giten fat here we have still a vary dusty road it all most sufocates us their is plenty of Indian sign here all the time we still keep in the valey all the time and dont no but we all ways will for their seams to be no hopes of giten out of here we have now come to a sink of this creek inti rely crust over have founde a well
september 12 we traveled seventeen miles to day we have past one of the most butifull springs it came right out of the bank and even in the valey it was vary dusty all day to day we have now come in sight of a little creek and the most butifull grass I ever saw the water is clear and runs sweet the stream is covered with willows and they look lovely
september 13 we traveled all day and only made seventeen miles we past some of the handsomest grass I ever saw in my life we came to another creek we traveled down it all the afternoon and at night we came to a canion which turned to the west we have bin traveling north for to or three days this stream gits larger here their is plenty of fish in it but we have not caught any
september 14 we have traveled in this canion all day and onley come ten miles we have traveled in the creek half the time I believe or more and some of the banks ware vary steepe the water is vary clear we found plenty of good wood here and grass in a bundance and some fissh [several unclear words] got out of the canion and camped
september 15 [Sunday] this day we traveled seventeen miles this morning we came in sight of the northern road and some teams come up with us this morning we met a vary large train comin from the golde digins they ware mormns comin to salt lake we have now come to the humbolte river and the water is believed [?] and warme here and vary clear
september 16 monday we traveled twenty miles to day over ruff and rockey roads and come to the river again this travel was vary dusty and harde on the catle one of them droped down in the yoke suficated with dust we have now over taken a great many people and almost evry one out of provisions of any kind we solde almost fifty dolars worth of bakin [baking? bacon?] last night
september 17 this day we traveled seventeen miles and come to the river again the Indians are vary thick they have killed to men to day and took their amunition and horses and left them for the buzards they devour them like we would sweete cake we have to have set a strong guarde all the time or we would be killed and may be we will be killed yet we dont no
september 18 this day is vary clear and bright we have traveled twenty miles and to day noon we thought we ware all again to be devoured with Indians they surrounded us we thought their was too or three hundred we coulde not tell exactly how many their was but we could see them skulken every whare in the grass mr hanaway[?] shot one or suposed he did
september 19 this morning is vary clear and bright this day we have traveled seventeen miles to day noon we had the best grass I ever saw it looked like a perfect wheete field we then went on a litle ways and come to the river their we found a man that had bin killed buy the Indians and his heart taken out he was buried yesterday and their lay a dead Indian it apears he was alone and the Indians came upon him and he shot one an then they shot him he was found with four arows shot in his breast and the Indian found shot under the arm
september 20 saturday this day we traveled twenty miles and crost the river at noon we founde good campin grounde to we camped on the oposite side of the river from the other wagons we had plenty of good grass here we had vary dusty roads to day it was salaratus dust their is plenty of salaratus here and plenty of lie to
september 21 this day it is vary colde and cloudy and some rain ocasionaly we have traveled twenty miles to day we founde an advertisemnt to be carfull or the Indians woulde kill us their is plenty of them here we have plenty of good grass to day for the catle we have now arived at camp it is marshey grounde here with here and their a bead [bed?] of salaratus and a pond of alekelie butifull green grass for the catle
september 22 [Sunday] we have traveled twenty miles to day and have vary good roads all except some sandy roads we had we have now stoped to noon and I founde some of the handsomest flowers here I ever saw In my life their is plenty of ducks and sage hens here we have had some of them and they are vary good now we have arived at camp grounde it seams plesent to stop plenty of grass
september 23 monday this day we traveled twenty miles and founde good grass and good camp grounde we coulde here the Indians a talking on the other side of river but we could not see them at all but coulde here them here we had some sage hen and thought they ware a great rarity it is vary colde and it has been vary dusty all day we have past to or thre greaves to day
september 24 tuesday this day we only traveled ten miles the road being sandy and vary dusty and it was vary harde drawing all day
september 25 this day we traveled fifteen miles and had vary good roads all day we had no dust at all we camped in a low place on the river their is a nother train camped closet by last night and the Indians thought they have a good c[h]ance to s[t]eal from them as they come about tehn o'clock last night and they shot at them and they run
september 26 this day we onley traveled seven miles and stoped to git grass for the desert we are in a vary lonely place the hills betwene us and the river is vary steepe and bad a wagon just a broke here their is an encampment of robers
september 27 this day we traveled fourteen miles the roads beeing vary dusty all day we founde a good camp to night their is a wagon here that belonged to a nother train it seams they had a fight with the indians seven days ago their is plenty of good grass here camp ducks in a bundance here the river here day in sloughs we are now in the vicinity of the [Humboldt] sink I believe Elick killed a [unclear word] hen and solde it all out
september 28 we traveled forteen miles to day and did not a camp till to night we did not have vary good camp grounde for I believe their are more than fifty dead horse here but their is plenty of grass here and water and plenty of good wood this eavening we can see smoke in every direction some are Indians and some are emigrants we can see a plenty of fires this day it is vary dusty all day
september 29 [Sunday] we have did eight miles in the morning we met a man that told us their was plenty of flour ahead and meate and coffe we went on then a bout three miles and their we met a train just come in with plenty of provisions here we saw some of the digers they look frightfull and some of their wigwams their was five I think some of them come out to the road and they were stark necked
september 30 this day all struck the mane desert and now we leave the humbolt in tirely we traveled all night and past the day we stoped to rest a half our to a time the roads were so bad it is a sight to see the distruction of property here
october 1 this day we traveled all day and all night we come to the boiling spring it is the greatest curiosity I ever saw in my life it will boil one yarde high to a time this morning we are at salmon trout river a bout seven 0 clock
october 2 we lay buy here all day and I washed
october 3 we crost over the river and went to the trading post and stoped we lay buy all day
october 4 we traveled twelve miles
october [5] we traveled twelve miles
october 6 [Sunday] we lay buy all day and fixed for packing
october 7 we started on this morning and traveled twelve miles to the river we had vary ruff roads all day we have now come in sight of timber and now we have reached the Firre we camped for the night here is plenty of timber to be got for fires and plenty of good water and some grass for the catle
october 8 this day we crost the river twice and then we come in to the timber it is plenty we now leave salmon trout river and take over the mountain we have now come over the mountain to a valey whare their is grass for the catle and now we stop to feede we have traveled seven miles their is a small creek running here which answers for our use and for the catle we have now a vary heavy snow storm the mountain is white in the snow and it is vary cold here I a most froze and the children the men seam to stand it vary well
october 9 we traveled fifteen miles we have past some of the handsomest pine trees I ever saw in my life some of them five feete through and since we had vary handsome road all day through some pleasant valeys of grass and a handsome creeke runing through the valey plenty of grass to for the catle all a rounde
october 10 this day we traveled onley about seven miles at aleven 0 clock when we stoped to noon we founde good grass here and plenty of water and wood we came to cross the sumit and stop here till morning their is plenty of good timber here and pitch pine it is vary colde here and I am giting vary tired of my journey the mountains is covered with snow
october 11 we have traveled eight miles to day we crost siere nevade mountains it was vary steepe we had to duble teams to git up and then had rain harde time we founde plenty of snow here and plenty timbre and plenty rock a litle more to me like we have got over and found a botom covered with grass and we founde a butifull creek here
october 12 this day we traveled sixteen miles and come to yuba river it is cro[w]ded with stones of all sizes and sorts from a hens ague [egg] to the size of a wagon the water is clear and good it is about six feete wide we have had the ruffest roads I ever saw in my life some places were soled rock and it was butifull to see it we past over mountains of all sizes and sorts we past some handsome timber to day
october 13 [Sunday] this day we traveled onley twelve miles and had vary ruff roads all day we past one trading post to day we hurry past toord [toward] these lakes to day we also past one cedar tree which masured tenn feete and I think might have been team catle taken off we now come to some grass for the catle and camp
october 14 this day we lay buy all frost all day and now we have started on we come to a hill which is a mile up and a mile down and now we stop grasse our catle and now it is raining frost and snowing on the mounain their is plenty wood here for fires plenty of oak
october 15 we traveled twelve miles and had vary good roads all day
october 16 we lay buy all day in bear valey to grase our catle
october 17 we landed in siera nevady city and it is a city to his makes five months since we left home
october 18 we got under shelter with mr potinger he had a house partly finished it is a sight to see the miners here october 19 [saturday] we lay in mr potengers for the
[End of Journal.]
1 A picayune was any small coin of little value.
2 We never learn the surname of the other Sarah; nor do we learn what ultimately happened to the two motherless children.
3 The Robert Crouch family was from Illinois. He was trained as D medical doctor. “The gold of California had more charms for him though than the healing art, and in 1850, he, with othen, started out on the long journey across the plains to the Pacific.” L. L. Palmer, History of Napa and Lake Counties, California (San Francisco, 1881), p. 432. They settled in Napa. This is an example of how the county “picture books” emphasized the male side of life. We never learn in its pages the wife's name.
4 Was this the wife of Nelson Slater, the publisher of an early imprint of California literature, a book on Tlu Fruits of Mormonism' The book came out in 1851, published in Coloma, Calif. See footnote 20 to “The Journal of Lucena Parsons” below, entry for June 11, 1851. We do not know the wife's name.
5 A James Crumsler, who arrived in San Francisco in 1850, is listed in Samuel Colville, San Francisco Directory, I (San Francisco, 1856).